The Hospital Acquired Pneumonia Prevention (HAPPEN) Study, a landmark multicenter trial involving 8,870 patients across nine wards in three Australian hospitals, demonstrates that improved oral hygiene reduces non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia risk by 60%. The 12-month stepped-wedge trial increased oral care delivery from 15.9% to 61.5% of patients by providing toothbrushes, educational materials, and staff training. Pneumonia incidence fell from 1.00 to 0.41 cases per 100 admission days-at-risk during the intervention period. Lead researcher Professor Brett Mitchell presented the results at ESCMID Global 2026, providing the first robust multicenter randomized controlled trial evidence supporting existing guidelines that recommend oral care for preventing this serious complication, which causes longer hospital stays, higher costs, and increased mortality.
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